PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The list of American Athletic Conference players who are candidates for national college football honors continues to grow.
Temple linebacker Tyler Matakevich, who had previously been tabbed as one of the 20 semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which is presented to the outstanding defensive player of the year. has also been named one of 12 semifinalists for the Rotary Lombardi Award, which goes to the top down lineman in college football.
Three American Athletic Conference kickers, meanwhile, have been named among the 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, which goes to the nation’s outstanding placekicker. Memphis’ Jake Elliott, Cincinnati’s Andrew Gantz and UConn’s Bobby Puyol are The American’s candidates for that honor.
Matakevich is the NCAA’s active career leader in tackles (433) and has registered 78 tackles 8.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks and an American Athletic Conference-leading five interceptions this season. He ranks third in The American, and 20th nationally, in tackles (9.8 per game) and is fifth nationally in interceptions at 0.6 per game. He is the only player in FBS football who has finished as his team’s leading tackler in every game this season.
The Rotary Lombardi Trophy classifies a down lineman as a player, end-to-end, either on offense or defense, who sets up no farther than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball, or a linebacker who sets up no farther than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage.
Elliott, who was a Groza Award semifinalist in 2013, leads all kickers nationally in scoring, and is ninth among all players, with 89 points (11.1 ppg). He has made 14 of 16 field goal attempts this season and is 47-for-47 on PATs, extending his streak to 128 consecutive made points after.
Gantz is a Groza Award semifinalist for the second straight year. He ranks 11th nationally in scoring with 86 points (10.8 ppg) and has made 17 of 21 field goal attempts and 35 of 35 PATs.
Puyol is one of four kickers nationally who has made at least 90 percent of his field goal attempts, with at least 10 successful kicks. Puyol has made 12 of 13 attempts (92.3 percent) and is 17-of-20 on PATs for 53 points.
American Athletic Conference Awards Candidates
|
Maxwell Award Semifinalists (Player of the Year) |
|
Devontae Booker |
RB |
Utah |
|
Trevone Boykin |
QB |
TCU |
|
Corey Coleman |
WR |
Baylor |
|
Connor Cook |
QB |
Michigan State |
|
Dalvin Cook |
RB |
Florida State |
|
Josh Doctson |
WR |
TCU |
|
Brandon Doughty |
QB |
Western Kentucky |
|
Ezekiel Elliott |
RB |
Ohio State |
|
Leonard Fournette |
RB |
LSU |
|
Royce Freeman |
RB |
Oregon |
|
Derrick Henry |
RB |
Alabama |
|
Cody Kessler |
QB |
USC |
|
Paxton Lynch |
QB |
Memphis |
|
Baker Mayfield |
QB |
Oklahoma |
|
Christian McCaffrey |
RB |
Stanford |
|
Dak Prescott |
QB |
Mississippi State |
|
C.J. Prosise |
RB |
Notre Dame |
|
Keenan Reynolds |
QB |
Navy |
|
Greg Ward Jr. |
QB |
Houston |
|
Deshaun Watson |
QB |
Clemson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bednarik Award Semifinalists (Top Defensive Player) |
|
Kendell Beckwith |
LB |
LSU |
|
Andrew Billings |
NT |
Baylor |
|
Joey Bosa |
DE |
Ohio State |
|
Jonathan Bullard |
DE |
Florida |
|
Shilique Calhoun |
DE |
Michigan State |
|
Jeremy Cash |
S |
Duke |
|
Su’a Cravens |
LB |
USC |
|
Myles Garrett |
DE |
Texas A&M |
|
Vernon Hargreaves III |
CB |
Florida |
|
Shaq Lawson |
DE |
Clemson |
|
Jourdan Lewis |
CB |
Michigan |
|
Tyler Matakevich |
LB |
Temple |
|
Carl Nassib |
DE |
Penn State |
|
Robert Nkemdiche |
DT |
Mississippi |
|
Emmanuel Ogbah |
DE |
Oklahoma State |
|
Reggie Ragland |
LB |
Alabama |
|
Jalen Ramsey |
CB |
Florida State |
|
A’Shawn Robinson |
DL |
Alabama |
|
Joe Schobert |
LB |
Wisconsin |
|
Jaylon Smith |
LB |
Notre Dame |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Semifinalists |
|
Trevone Boykin |
TCU |
|
|
Connor Cook |
Michigan State |
|
|
Brandon Doughty |
Western Kentucky |
|
|
Luke Falk |
Washington State |
|
|
Jared Goff |
California |
|
|
Kevin Hogan |
Stanford |
|
|
Matt Johnson |
Bowling Green |
|
|
Cody Kessler |
USC |
|
|
Paxton Lynch |
Memphis |
|
|
Patrick Mahomes |
Texas Tech |
|
|
Baker Mayfield |
Oklahoma |
|
|
Dak Prescott |
Mississippi State |
|
|
Keenan Reynolds |
Navy |
|
|
Josh Rosen |
UCLA |
|
|
Seth Russell |
Baylor |
|
|
Greg Ward Jr. |
Houston |
|
|
Deshaun Watson |
Clemson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rotary Lombardi Award Semifinalists (Best Down Lineman) |
|
Joey Bosa |
DE |
Ohio State |
|
Shilique Calhoun |
DE |
Michigan State |
|
Taylor Decker |
OT |
Ohio State |
|
Spencer Drango |
OT |
Baylor |
|
Myles Garrett |
DE |
Texas A&M |
|
Shaq Lawson |
DE |
Clemson |
|
Tyler Matakevich |
LB |
Temple |
|
Carl Nassib |
DE |
Penn State |
|
Robert Nkemdiche |
DE |
Mississippi |
|
Reggie Ragland |
LB |
Alabama |
|
Joe Schobert |
LB |
Wisconsin |
|
Ronnie Stanley |
OT |
Notre Dame |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lou Groza Award Semifinalists (Top Placekicker) |
|
Roberto Aguayo |
Florida State |
|
|
Michael Badgley |
Miami (Fla.) |
|
|
Jonathan Barnes |
Louisiana Tech |
|
|
Daniel Carlson |
Auburn |
|
|
Trent Domingue |
LSU |
|
|
Jake Elliott |
Memphis |
|
|
Ka’imi Fairbairn |
UCLA |
|
|
Andrew Gantz |
Cincinnati |
|
|
Ross Martin |
Duke |
|
|
Jaden Oberkrom |
TCU |
|
|
Andy Phillips |
Utah |
|
|
Bobby Puyol |
UConn |
|
|
Tyler Rausa |
Boise State |
|
|
Austin Rehkow |
Idaho |
|
|
Ryan Santoso |
Minnesota |
|
|
Garrett Schwettman |
Western Kentucky |
|
|
Joey Slye |
Virginia Tech |
|
|
Nick Smith |
Marshall |
|
|
Conrad Ukropina |
Stanford |
|
|
Nick Weiler |
North Carolina |
|